Around Town

It won’t ever beat “All I Want for Christmas is You” on the charts but a new Arlington-specific Christmas song is out, recorded by the group that was on the opposition side of several land-use flashpoints this year.

Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future, a neighborhood group that has advocated against everything from Missing Middle to a new planning document for Langston Blvd, dropped an alternative “12 Days of Christmas” this week.


Opinion

As we have been reporting, local public access station Arlington Independent Media is at a crossroads as it vies for funding from Arlington County and local cable providers.

Despite some internal strife, a bigger force is driving the existential questions around AIM: the ongoing loss of cable TV subscribers known as cord cutting.


Sponsored

Welcome to the new column, Kami’s Korner, where we will take a deep dive into Arlington’s condominium market by focusing on what’s coming next.  From emerging developments to shifting trends, this space will spotlight the opportunities and insights shaping the future of condo living in Arlington.

Where have all the cowboys gone? Um… I mean condominiums.

For new condominiums, this last cycle has been a bit sleepy. For those wanting to own a piece of Arlington, it has been block after block of attractive new rentals, but no chance to own. If you are in the market for a new condominium, there isn’t a single new one on the market today to consider, either in presale or recently delivered with a model to tour. And it’s not for lack of demand. (more…)


News

Confederate Memorial Removal to Proceed — “A day after halting work to remove the Confederate memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, a federal judge in Virginia on Tuesday said he would allow the removal to proceed. On Tuesday evening, Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. of the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia ruled against a request from a group called Defend Arlington that the memorial remain undisturbed.” [Washington Post]

Crash with Entrapment Last Night — “The NB lanes of N Glebe Rd are closed at the intersection of N Glebe Rd. and Military Rd. Traffic is being diverted… This is a crash with 1-2 injuries. One driver was trapped and freed by firefighters, per scanner.” [Twitter]


News

This weekend, the Arlington County Board adopted a new agreement governing how Arlington’s public access station, Arlington Independent Media, can request funding.

AIM has a claim on Public, Educational and Government (PEG) funds that Arlington County receives as part of its franchise agreements with Comcast and Verizon. It competes with Arlington Public Schools and county government initiatives for this pot of money, which is dwindling as people end their cable subscriptions.


Around Town

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Like a phoenix rising from the ashes — or a Barnes & Noble returning to Georgetown — Panera Bread is making its triumphant return to Ballston.

The fast-casual bakery-cafe chain announced today that it is gearing up for a grand opening this Thursday (Dec. 21) near the Ballston Metro station, at the corner of N. Stuart Street and Fairfax Drive.


News

Lyft is ringing in the new year by offering free rides to Arlington residents over 21 from now until New Year’s Day.

Spearheaded by the Tysons-based Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the initiative, known as SoberRide, aims to reduce drunk driving around holidays including Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day and New Year’s Eve when DUI crashes tend to spike.


News

Last month, a peculiar cybersecurity incident derailed class at Washington-Liberty and prompted a police investigation that is ongoing.

Around 10:10 a.m. on Nov. 30, police were dispatched to the school for “the late report of suspicious circumstances,” says ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.